BNP senior leader Nazrul Islam Khan on Saturday said every law must include strict provisions to hold those responsible for enforcing it accountable if they misuse their power or violate the law.
“I think one thing that should be included in all laws is that there should be provisions for punishment for those who are responsible for enforcing the law if they make deliberate mistakes in enforcing the law or unjustly violate the law and oppress the people,” he said.
Nazrul, a BNP Standing Committee member, made the remarks while speaking at a seminar on the ‘Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025’ arranged by Nagorik Oikya at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity.
He said when people in powerful positions break the law or fail to protect public interests, there must be a legal mechanism to hold them accountable and ensure they are punished.
“Simply writing laws on paper or making the language beautiful is not enough. If people responsible for applying the law use it to oppress citizens, and if there is no way to bring them to justice, then the law serves no real purpose,” Nazrul observed.
The BNP leader expressed concerns over the Cyber Security Ordinance, saying that although some changes were made, the law still falls short in meeting the needs of the people.
He also criticised the poor implementation of labour law in the country, saying there were many labour laws in the country before combining them into a single law known as the Labour Code or Labour Court Act in 2006. “If you read the law, it seems like a very good one. But if you look at its implementation, it is quite disappointing.”
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Nazrul said the law clearly states that every worker must be given an appointment letter, but 20 to 25 percent of workers in Bangladesh actually do not get it. “Most of them do not have clear terms of employment. They have no old-age benefits, no leave, and no other facilities that are written in the law.”
He said although there is a minimum wage set for agricultural workers, there is no effective mechanism to ensure they are paid fairly or to punish those who pay less.
Nazrul Islam said many laws in the country are unclear, and this confusion is often exploited by those in authority or law enforcers to harass the public.
In Bangladesh, he said, there are many laws for women, youth, children and workers, but most of them are not aware of these laws. “The people for whom these laws are meant often do not understand them or cannot benefit from them.”
The BNP leader urged all political parties, social organisations and representatives of various professional groups to raise public awareness about the law, help people understand their legal rights, explain the flaws within existing laws and actively involve them in efforts to correct those flaws.
He stressed the need for making sure people can enjoy the rights they have under the law and are able to fight for the rights they are still deprived of.